United States G-class submarine

USS G-1
USS G-1 soon after launching, in 1911
Class overview
NameG class
Builders
Operators United States Navy
Preceded byF class
Succeeded byH class
Built1909–1913
In commission1912–1921
Completed4
Retired4
General characteristics
TypeSubmarine
Displacement
  • 360–400 long tons (366–406 t) surfaced
  • 457–516 long tons (464–524 t) submerged
Length157–161 ft (48–49 m)
Beam13–17 ft (4.0–5.2 m)
Draft11–12 ft (3.4–3.7 m)
Propulsion
  • Gasoline-electric (G-1, G-2, G-4)
  • Diesel-electric (G-3)
Speed
  • 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) surfaced
  • 9.5–10 knots (17.6–18.5 km/h; 10.9–11.5 mph) submerged
Range
  • 2,500 nmi (4,600 km) at 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced
  • 70 nmi (130 km) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth200 ft (61 m)
Complement24-26 officers and men
Armament

The G-class submarines were a class of four United States Navy submarines. While the four G boats were nominally all of a class, they differed enough in significant details that they are sometimes considered to be four unique boats, each in a class by herself.[1] They were the result of agitation (presumably from industry and Congress) for competition in submarine design; all previous US submarines were designed by Electric Boat.[2] G-1, G-2, and G-3 were designed by Simon Lake of the Lake Torpedo Boat Company, while G-4 was designed by American Laurenti. G-1 and G-2 were built by Newport News, G-3 by Lake (completed at the New York Navy Yard due to Lake's temporary dissolution),[3] and G-4 by Cramp.[2]

  1. ^ Pigboats.com G-boats page
  2. ^ a b Gardiner, p. 128
  3. ^ Friedman, pp. 286-287